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At Barnes & Noble, a Story of Fantastical Retail Growing

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For readers old and young, there are perhaps two literary franchises more ubiquitous than Harry Potter and Star Wars. Up to now, the Harry Potter brand has generated almost $8 billion in book sales, while Star Wars novels have earned $1.8 billion--to say nothing of earnings from related merchandise, video games, and needless to say, the box office. When new recognition reaches such a high degree, marketing might appear straightforward --but this is just an illusion. Shoppers don't only want to purchase the most recent edition. They wish to go into the wizarding world or fight alongside the rebel alliance. But how is it possible to do this retail theater in-store, with no magic wand (and without imposing on other in-store merchandise screens )? The solution is retail transformation. The advantages of a trusted team Barnes & Noble confronted this question this past year. The Fortune 1000 bookseller wanted to make a permanent in-store destination, or"trend store," f

Tech Just for Her: Does Gendered Advertising Work in Tech?

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Inclusivity. A big trend hitting retail within the last year. Gender neutrality and gender fluidity are permeating product offerings and retail displays. But at the same exact time, another contradictory tendency is impacting the retail area -- especially in the consumer electronics industry. And that trend is gendered advertising. New brands are cropping up left and right that marketplace women-focused products. Tech-enabled purses and a slew of feminine tech accessories -- only feminine tech offerings are saturating the market now. So how can we reconcile these apparently, contradicting tendencies? In a world where women are fighting for equality, are such gendered electronics appropriate, or uncomfortably retro in mindset? Pink is not the response Think back to the times of gendered advertising. Televisions for guys, vacuums and crockpots only for girls and a pink phone marketed as"a princess telephone to the homemaker with an eye on the niceties of interior décor.&q

2021 Trends to Watch and Why

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I suppose the most crucial thing we all learned from 2020 (besides baking a mean pop bread from scratch or becoming experts at Zoom calls) is that nothing remains the same. Finding our way and our footing in this new standard has indeed been incredibly challenging, but it has also brought a new awareness that life holds no guarantees and has pushed many to get to work--and aggressively seize opportunities to make things happen--quickly. Sure, many would want to throw up their hands and give in. But many, thankfully, didn't. And they understood that although many doors (and I mean that in the literal sense) closed, they also realized rather quickly that many more doors opened as a result--doors that lead to innovations in everything from medical science to customer services. Maybe seeing some light in that which we have been through, we have learned that from diversity and challenge of our situation can come fortitude, resiliency and innovation. As Bruce Lee once said,"To

March Madness Shopping: Bringing Fun and Exploration into the Client Experience

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As we come upon the NCAA's March Madness program, we must take a moment to remember how the school basketball tourneys performed in March 2020. In what seems like a lifetime ago, fans and teams readied for college basketball teams to winnow down their way to the Sweet Sixteen, then the Elite Eight and eventually the Final Four. Instead, Covid-19 started its relentless spread. And like dominoes falling, 1 conference after the following cancelled their championships, leaving just the Big East to play in Madison Square Garden. Initially they allowed fans, but the following day they had been barred, and the day after that the championship was cancelled in the middle of a match. It was breathtaking and quite shocking in its speed and reach. And it kind of encapsulates why shoppers' psyches and behaviours were changed so very much within one (apparently very long) year. And as one merchant after the next was closed because of stay-at-home orders, the humble grocery store was de

Grow DTC Offline with Pop-Up + Dynamic QR

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If you have been reading the information about DTC recently, you could be under the belief that DTC is faltering. Challenges faced by brands such as Harry's and Brandless have dominated the news lately, giving reason to pause when analyzing the continuing value of DTC as an increasing tendency in retail. However, we believe the notion of owning a direct-to-consumer relationship has been present numerous opportunities and benefits for these brands. The most crucial is the benefit of understanding the customer, who they are, what they need today and what they will need in the future. With no center barriers, DTC businesses have the direct ability to call the shots on how they are going to develop these romantic and longterm relationships; over time, this may also encourage the brand's ability to continue to be relevant long after they launch. DTC organizations are born, for the most part, as digitally native brands. As we've seen, a number of companies have recognized tha

International Ecommerce Explained: Stats and Trends to Watch in 2021

Global ecommerce is many things--cross-border trade, borderless business, international online retail. But more important than what it is, is what it is not. Global ecommerce isn't a luxury. It is not one strategy among many. But going global is a necessity. Unfortunately, it's also fraught with questions: Where to invest? What nations present the best product-market fit? How can you attract non-local buyers? Which is most important: translation, currencies, payment options, or something else completely? This guide will provide you an inside look on the international ecommerce , with hints on ways to expand in the market. For more on how to grow beyond boundaries, download our International Ecommerce Playbook Download 1. What's global ecommerce? First things first: global ecommerce is your selling services or products across geopolitical boundaries from a business's state of origin, normally defined as its heritage or integrating location. Products or services a

Why Dr. Squatch took their commercial to the Super Bowl

Each year, millions of sports fans flock with bites in tow to bear witness to the most-watched sports event on television: the Super Bowl. Even if you are not a sports enthusiast, you probably watch for the ads, half-time show, or even just show up to the meals. If this year's Super Bowl was well underway, Jack Haldrup, CEO and founder of Dr. Squatch , had a slightly different viewing experience than many. Haldrup was going to unlock an achievement that's typically reserved for his bigger, CPG competitions: he was going to watch Dr. Squatch's first-ever Super Bowl commercial. Dr. Squatch is a California-based men's natural soap and personal care company. When you think of pure soap, you may think of this type that is found at a farmer's market. However, Dr. Squatch has changed that. (And, ironically, a visit to a local farmer's market to discover a soap that would not worsen or agitate his psoriasis was a part of Haldrup's first inspiration for Dr. Squ